Gambia: Businesses Dying In Farafenni; Ghost Lumo!

The Farafenni market has overtime become a ghost market. There is no serious business activity taking place here. Almost all businesses have closed, and relocated to neighboring Senegal. The weekly “lumo” is virtually dead. As evident on these pictures, the stalls at the Farafenni Lumo, are virtually empty. Traders sit the whole day without making sales.

Gambia’s E-commerce is not recovering anytime soon. The closure of the Senegalese border has aggravated the situation. It has adversely hurt the already dead Gambian economy.

Business is booming on the other side of the Senegalese border “poste” just outside Farafenni. Almost all stall owners in Farafenni, have relocated to poste. The cross border business relocation has crippled Farafenni’s onetime vibrant and buoyant economy.

Traders at Farafenni, have lost faith in the market. The few businesses left in the town are considering closing their stalls. They are of the view that it is a waste of time and energy to run a business in a ghost market.

In the meantime, while Senegal has closed its border with The Gambia, river transportation has slowed down dramatically in the North and Southern Bank of The Gambia. Gambia Ports Authority ferries plying between Illetenda and Yellitenda are usually empty. In fact, the ports has lowered its vehicle and container tariffs just to attract customers, but that’s not helping either. The situation is getting from bad to worse.

In another development, Gambian musician Jaliba Kuyateh and his band, were denied entry into the other side of Senegalese border in Karang last week. The musician and his crew were compelled to park their cars on the other side of The Gambian border before they were allowed entry into Karang. Jaliba and his crew then walk on foot from Amadali, to board Senegalese vehicles in Karang to proceed to Dakar.